Revelation Chapter 12

OVERVIEW

• The Birth of Christ to the nation of Israel recounted
• Includes Herod's attempt to kill Him by killing all children in Israel (Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:18)
• Israel goes into hiding for three and a half years
• Taken care of by angels there ("that they should feed her")
• Satan cast out of Heaven by Michael
• All devils cast down to earth with the enemy as well
• • "Accuser of the brethren"
  • Martyred many saints who did not fall away
  • "Woe to the earth" pronounced now
• Enemy send all forces to take out Israel in the wilderness
• God protects His people, which angers the enemy

(Revelation 12:1 )
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

• This is quite obviously the nation of Israel

(Genesis 37:9 )
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

(Revelation 12:2 )
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

• Ultimately, even though Mary gave birth to Jesus, it was the nation of Israel through whom the Messiah of the world would enter to rescue man
• Since God does not dwell in time, He can recall, restate previous events in scriptural history like He does future ones

(Revelation 12:3 )
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

• The anti-Christ kingdom, his satanic power, complete and ready to battle God......and lose everything

Revelation 13:1
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Revelation 17:3
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

(Revelation 12:4 )
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

• As it was 2,000 years ago, so now again the same enemy, same woman, same country, same Child
• The Sea here represents the world's population of people
• The same result for all parties-Gods will prevails, the woman, child and nation survive, the dragon fails
• This time the dragon will not live to fight another day

(Jeremiah 31:15 )
Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

(Matthew 2:13-18 )
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

(Revelation 12:5 )
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

• This is the Ascension
• The person is revealed again as none other than Jesus Christ Himself

(Acts 1:9 )
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

(Psalms 2:9 )
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter:s vessel.

• These last two verses are a confirmation from Scripture of who is being talked about here and who these events will be about coming up. On earth it is about Israel.
• This also makes it unmistakable as to who the focus is on in Revelation

(Revelation 12:6 )
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

• This is the entire second half of the Great Tribulation

(Daniel 12:7 )
And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
(Revelation 11:3 )
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

(Revelation 12:7-8 )
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven

• Michael:s job is to fight on behalf of Israel
• Even Michael does not prevail, it is the LORD who eventually wins
• At least in Revelation, the enemy is kicked down to earth and out of Heaven once and for all

(Daniel 10:13 )
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

(Daniel 12:1 )
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

(2 Peter 2:10-11 )
But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

(Jude 1:9 )
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (Revelation 12:9 )
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

• The enemy, the father of lies, the one formerly known as Lucifer, the head of the religious department on earth, kicked forever out of God:s Heaven

(Revelation 12:10 )
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

• This is how we are treated before God this very moment-falsely accused of crimes Jesus paid the sentence for long ago
• Some people also are also false accusers in the same manner, especially now in the last days

(2 Timothy 3:1-5 )
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

(Titus 2:2-3 )
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

(Revelation 12:11 )
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

• His Blood, our Salvation. His Word, our testimony saves us
• We are to hate our lives on this earth and look for a new one in Heaven because the life here is sinful.

(Revelation 12:12 )
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

• This is not a good time to be on earth
• • The enemy
  • The enemy on earth
  • The enemy on earth with wrath
  • The enemy on earth with wrath and a short timetable to use it and no restrainer (Holy Spirit)

(2 Thessalonians 2:7 )
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

(Revelation 12:13 )
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

• Israel is proof of the real God's existence, and his time is short, and he knows it
• How deceived to have the book of Revelation, know what it says and think you can destroy Israel and go against it and wipe out God:s people anyways!
• Lost people are the same way and can be deceived in unbelievable ways

(Revelation 12:14 )
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

• The last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation, taken care of by God
• No Moses, Aaron this time, no other resources except God providing manna, sustenance, protection
• This is the time of Jacob:s Trouble, as prophesied
• "Her place" is not told, and no one knows for sure....Petra?

(Jeremiah 30:7 )
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob:s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

(Matthew 24:15-20 )
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,(whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

(Revelation 12:15 )
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

• This is either something sent from the enemy in the way of a real water flood or
• A massive army of soldiers
• Since verses 13-14 are literal, it is probably water itself, literally

A FLOOD OF SOLDIERS?

(Isaiah 8:7 )
Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

(Revelation 12:16 )
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

• No one in the spiritual realm nor on earth, top to bottom, can ever destroy Israel

(Zechariah 2:7-8 )
Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

(Revelation 12:17 )
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

• Failing to wipe out the unbelieving remnant of Jews in the wilderness, the enemy turns to the believing remnant, the 144,000 evangelists, 12,000 from each tribe

Revelation Chapter 13